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| Gauchos Parade at El Ombu de Areco |
San Antonio
de Areco is one of the delightful towns closest to Buenos Aires
The
town’s only real sights are a couple of museums, the most important of which is
the Museo Gauchesco Ricardo Güiraldes. But what really makes Areco memorable is
the harmonious architectural character of the town’s centre: all cobbled
streets and faded Italianate and colonial facades punctuated by elaborate
wrought-iron grilles and delicately arching lamps. There are also some
excellent artisans working in the town in talleres (workshops). Weaving and
leatherwork are well represented, but the silversmiths are the highlight.
The
must-visit place is Centro Cultural y Taller
Draghi, named for the famed silversmith Juan José Draghi, who called both
President Bushes and Ronald Reagan clients. The museum is dedicated to the man
who revived silversmithing in Argentina
Of
their work bench, silver pieces and gold are born; trails, knives and matés are
used by neighbors of san Antonio de Areco, it glimpsed a personal, new and
different style. This fact doesn't escape to visitors that arrive to the
district of Areco: who begin to converge assiduously to their shop with special
orders: candlesticks, marks, alhajeros, pitchers, cutleries, machetes ( gaucho
knives) etc.
The
machete (or gaucho knife) is a tool made by former gauchos , native to the
pampas. Besides being a cutting element as a working tool , it is used to kill
animals and remove the skin of the animals , make thongs and leather working ,
woodworking , etc. , used by the gaucho in their crafts. He has also developed
as a weapon of self defense style for protection in such Pampan regions. Along
with his poncho and his horse form the best alliance to fend off possible
attacks , using it as their own very particular laws and philosophies as in
some Western martial arts.
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| Gaucho Boots made with horse feet rawhide. |
San Antonio
de Areco, the national capital of gaucho traditions, hosts the annual Fiesta de
la Tradición, the country’s most important festival celebrating pampas
culture.( This year will take place on November 7th and 8th). Despite its
modest promotion as a tourist destination, playing on its appealing setting by
the banks of the tranquil Río Areco, the town has retained a surprisingly
genuine feel. You may not find Areco full of galloping gauchos outside festival
week, but you still have a good chance of spotting estancia workers on horseback,
sporting traditional berets and rakishly knotted scarves, or of coming across
paisanos propping up the bar of a traditional boliche establishment.
Annual Tradition Day
Festivities in Areco
The
festival, during which gauchos who still actually work in the fields and those
who have desk jobs but keep their skills (and knives) sharp in their spare
time, participate in parades, giant cookouts and demonstrations of
horse-riding skills.
Areco has a
prestigious literary connection: the town was the setting for Ricardo
Güiraldes’ Argentine classic Don Segundo Sombra (1926), a novel that was
influential in changing the image of the gaucho from that of an undesirable
outlaw to a symbol of national values.
Famous Gaucho: Don Segundo Sombra
Just behind Fierro in terms of recognition and fame is Don Segundo
Sombra, a fictional character and protagonist of one of Ricardo Güiraldes’
novels written in 1929. Don Segundo has a mythical aura around him and
represents in many ways the ideal gaucho as seen by those in search of symbols
of Argentine national identity at the start of the 20th century. He is strong,
elegant and honest but as his name indicates he has a sombre, lonesome side to
him.
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| Don Segundo Sombra |
The
gaucho is a legendary figure of Argentine society, a rebel reminiscent of
‘Che’. His elegance is supposedly inherited from the Spanish conquistadores and
his freedom is intrinsically linked to the symbol of the country’s pampas.
Gauchos,
the Argentine version of the cowboy, had their heyday in the 19th and early
20th centuries, but much of the culture, from horseback riding to
silversmithing to bringing your own knife to dinner, still survives and stirs
national pride. His elegance is
supposedly inherited from the Spanish conquistadores and his freedom is
intrinsically linked to the symbol of the country’s pampa.
In 1866, an English rancher by the name of Wilfred Latham wrote: “I
cannot conceive of anything more exhilarating than a gallop across the plains....
a cloudless sky of deep azure, an atmosphere marvelously light and pure
communicating a sense of indescribable buoyancy and pleasurable existence – a
soft breeze flowing, as it were, over the vast plain, boundless as an ocean –
contribute to engender an irresistible feeling of joy.”
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| Ricardo Guiraldes Museum in Areco Town. |
It takes the name of Ricardo Güiraldes to honor the novel Don Segundo
Sombra, published in 1926. Definitely worth a visit - recommend a guided tour
as it is very interesting to find out some of the stories behind the artefacts.
Entry is free. Everything related to the life and work of this remarkable
writer is on display there. Visitors will learn about the life, customs and
routine of the countryside people from their origins until today.
Pulperias
The “pulperia” (grocery store) was until the early twentieth century the
typical commercial establishment of the various regions of Latin finding
widespread from Central America to the
southern cone countries. Its origin dates back to the XVI century, and provided
everything then was indispensable for everyday life: food, beverages, candles
(candles or candles), coal, medicines, textiles and others.
It was also the social center of the humble and middle classes of the
population, there characters typical of each region would gather to talk and
see what’s new. The “pulperias” were places where you could drink alcohol,
cockfights were held, were playing dice, card games, etc..
The main square has La Esquina de Merti on a corner and this is a
pulperia (a former grocery and bar) that has been converted into a restaurant,
but with all the old, genuine interior and items from its former function.
There is seating outsdie and inside, but eat inside to appreciate the full
experience. We highly recommend baked meat empanadas and a “picada”.
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| Preparing the "picada" - Salame - |
Picadas,
which are consumed at home or in bars, cafés, "cafetines" and
"bodegones" are also popular; they consist of an ensemble of plates
containing cubes of cheese (typically from Mar del Plata or Chubut), pieces of
salame, olives in brine, french fries, maníes (peanuts), etc.; picadas are
eaten accompanied by an alcoholic beverage ("fernet", beer, wine with
soda, to give some common examples).
In San Antonio de Areco we invite you to discover:
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Almacén Los Principios (Moreno y Mitre)
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Bar San Martin (Moreno y Alvear)
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Boliche de Bessonart (Segundo Sombra y Zapiola)
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El Mitre (Mitre y Alsina)
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La Vuelta de Gato (Camino R. Güiraldes, frente al museo)
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El Tokio (Mitre y Arellano)
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La Esquina de Merti (Arellano y Mitre)
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La Pulperia de Areco (Bolivar 66)
Areco’s
traditional gaucho atmosphere extends to the surrounding area, where you will
find some of Argentina
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| Estancia La Bamba - near Areco Town. |
If you don’t feel like planning your own itinerary, we will happily
coordinate your visit to Areco and arrange your estancia stay. For further
information, please contact us.
